The Bubble Trip
by Hallel
Summary: Luffy and Nami get trapped in a bubble of Romantic Feelings; the only way to escape is to... recite poetry? That's probably not going to work for these two. Shameless WAFF. One Shot. Complete.


A/N: Bwahahahaha!

This is a 'what if' oneshot based on the premise that Silver Rayleigh and Shakky had a safe place to hide the Straw Hats instead of sending them out onto the Archipelago to end up in a confrontation with the Pacifistas and Admiral Kizaru. Takes place after the tenryuubito incident but just before the separation. Please assume that the separation takes place a day or two after.

PS – I am appalled by Ussop's terrible joke. Appalled at that boy I say! Please don't flame me to a crisp!

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Standard disclaimers apply

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Deep below the surface of the waters of the Saboady Archipelago, somewhere beneath the drowned and tangled roots of the massive mangrove tree designated as Number 28, firmly lodged against the currents that swept through the inky blue water was a large, very large bubble in which our hero's were currently occupying as their temporary headquarters. There had been a brief argument about naming it but the Franky-Battle-Bubble-Number-One faction was currently at a stale mate with the Captain-Ussop's-Amazing-Gumdrop-Hippo-Lion-Giraffe coalition, the majority of the crew were consistently refusing to take sides and so the matter was dropped when Sanji served lunch.

As they finished their repast their host stood up from the table that was placed on the only level patch of flooring in the bubble and commanded their attention. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Straw Hat crew, it is my privilege and pleasure to see to your safety over the next few days as Mister Rayleigh coats your ship. Please address me as Professor Powder. I'm here because I owe Shakky a favour or two so feel free to make yourselves at home and ask any questions that you have _so that crazy woman will get off my back."_ Their host, a rather near sighted man, gave every evidence of being an eccentric researcher. His fly away hair was tinted stark white and was given added gravitas by a small wooden pipe he alternately smoked, tucked behind his ear, waved about as he spoke, or absentmindedly stuffed in his breast pocket still lit. He wore a tweed suite at least 30 years old with well worn leather elbow patches and a pair of thin metal rimmed glasses perched on the end of his nose. The only thing out of place was his shockingly bright pink work apron that was covered in hand stitched pockets. How he had gotten himself stuck under Shakky's thumb became clear to sharp eyes that noted the occasional ace card or gambling slip that fell from his pockets as he moved. Obviously this professor was a bit of a degenerate gambler, and a bad one too to owe Shakky so much.

Outside of the bubble the deep blue waters stretched out above them on every side, schools of enormous fish swam by interspersed with the giant mangrove roots that blocked out the late evening sun. Within the giant bubble smaller bubbles floated. Some hummed softly and some gave off light while others moved in patterns across the surface of the dome, each performing a mysterious function in keeping the people in the large platform safe and breathing. The overall effect was lovely but dizzyingly fragile, leaving the people in the dome feeling as though the waters would come rushing in at any moment to make them a part of that beautiful but deadly underwater world.

"How d-deep down are we?" Ussop asked with the voice of a man who really doesn't want to know but can't help asking.

"Currently this bubble is 400 meters below the surface, we are suspended here above the deepest point in the Saboady Archipelago which descends another 800 meters below us, thus the very best place to hide fugitives like yourselves. If anyone is looking for you here they will find nothing but silt and darkness and sea kings."

Ussop turned pale and murmured something about having a can't-be-too-deep-underwater-in-a-flimsy-bubble disease.

Robin interjected with, "How come the bubble doesn't burst from the pressure?" Ussop twitched.

"Ahaha! You noticed? Well I don't like to brag, but it could never have happened if not for my amazing research into the properties of the unique resins here in the archipelago. In fact, I am an expert in the field of unique bubble coatings and I myself invented the don't-you-dare-pop powder that is keeping this bubble intact. I've invented dozens of powders with some truly astounding properties. That's why they call me the great Professor Powder! Ha ha!"

"Can we call you P. P. for short?" Zoro asked casually from where he was sprawled leaning against the side of the dome seemingly completely unconcerned by their surroundings.

The more juvenile members of the crew erupted into snorts of laughter at this witism.

Nami rolled her eyes at this and commented loudly to Robin, "You know, for a guy who doesn't like to brag, he sure thinks highly of himself."

"Especially since his area of specialization is limited in its application to this archipelago alone. I bet it's nearly impossible for him to get research grants." Robin added with a small smile.

Professor Powder ground his teeth in indignation, "You make light of my academic frustrations madam. But you won't be laughing once I've demonstrated the amazing powers of my bubbles. Watch!"

With that he pulled a pair of shimmering gloves out of one of his many pockets and turned toward the wall of the bubble dome next to him. From a second pocket he took out a small silk purse and opened it. With a practised motion he began to delicately sprinkle a pink powder on the wall alternately smoothing it evenly with his hands. Putting the purse back in its pocket, he placed his fingertips against the wall and began to tug.

The Straw Hat's alarmed cries of protest were silenced as the professor pulled a faintly pink bubble away from the surface of the dome without causing any apparent harm.

He held it aloft triumphantly, "Behold the Lovey-Dovey Bubble! For a romance that will send you to the moon, I the Amazing Professor Powder have invented it to aid the lovers of the world! Now, who would care to put it through its paces?"

The younger members of the crew who had been watching excitedly settled back down with pouts after hearing the bubbles purpose. The more mature members merely looked on with interest.

"Hold it there!" Sanji marched over with a snarl and snatched it out of the professors' hands, "If anyone is going to do any romancing in this crappy ball it's me." He sent a one-eyed glare at his male crewmates who fortunately looked completely uninterested in challenging him for possession of the globe.

After a moment's pause to ensure that no one was going to steal the opportunity to woo his lady loves, Sanji turned to the professor, "So how does it work?"

"Well normally I'd make the bubble large enough for two but just putting it on your head will be enough for this demonstration."

Sanji methodically put out his cigarette by grinding it against the sole of his shoe, lifted the bubble, and with a squelching pop fitted it over his head.

Luffy burst into cackling laughter and doubled over with a breathless gasp of "fish bowl head!"

Sanji manfully ignored this and raised a curled eyebrow at the professor.

"Right! Now all you have to do is think of something nice to say to one of these young ladies and let the bubble take it from there."

"That's easy, for the praises of my fair crewmates are never far from my lips." He began, his voice sounding unusually muffled, "Why, just one smile from the fair Robin-chan moves my heart to poetry. One glimpse of my dearest Nami-Swan sets my heart on fire! They are all the inspiration a man could ever need in this lifetime. Their faces light up the evening sky like the stars. The moon is ashamed to ...Aak!"

The crew stared in amazement for as Sanji's romantic heart had poured forth, his feet had parted company with the floor. The glowing bubble lofted him up to the roof of the dome and he hung suspended with one hand placed over his heart as he continued on before suddenly noticing his predicament.

Luffy who had just recovered from the sight of Sanji with a bubble on his head doubled over in gales of renewed laughter at the sight.

Sanji's usually impeccable outfit was looking decidedly wrinkled as he dangled from the ceiling by his neck cursing and kicking wildly and promising all sorts of dire consequences for the idiots below if they didn't quit laughing at him.

"If we had been on the surface, he really might have made it to the moon!" cried Ussop with a hoot.

"Keh, letting that idiot into a lovey-dovey bubble. What did he think was going to happen?" Zoro cracked one sleepy eye open from his position on the floor to smirk up at his erstwhile companion.

Franky interjected, "More importantly, how are we supposed to get him down? Ussop could shoot the bubble but maybe we should leave him up there for a few minutes to cool off. He looks pretty pissed."

"Now, now, your friend will be down shortly. He's not generating enough romantic feelings to keep him afloat," said the Professor sagely.

A stream of muffled profanity drifted down from above their heads, mercifully muted.

"There you go! Simply cease to generate a romantic atmosphere and the bubble lets you down as softly as you please."

And indeed a red faced Sanji was rapidly descending and when his feet hit the floor the bubble over his head burst with a smattering of pink foam.

"The first shit-head to say a word gets kicked in the face."

A tight lipped crew grinned back at him. Luffy's chuckles began to wind down.

"So Chef-san! What did you think of my remarkable lovey-dovey bubble?" Asked the Professor, revealing to those who were paying attention the stem of his bad luck with gambling. His response was a smack upside the head which caused a large lump to immediately swell up. But undeterred, the professor continued, "A tough crowd, eh? Well this next powder is sure to put a smile on that grumpy face." Sanji snarled in response.

The professor reached into his apron and pulled out a small silvery bag and again dusted the powder it contained against a fresh portion of the bubble dome wall. Donning his gloves he tugged a shimmering bubble away from the surface and held it up for the crew's inspection.

"Now this bubble coating I am particularly proud of. Gonna put all those drug companies out of business. I call it the slap-happy bubble! No more need for antidepressants! Just pop this bubble on your head and let the laughter flow forth."

"Does the bubble make you laugh?" Franky asked.

"No, no, this bubble causes you to float in the air when its filled with laughter. Like a joyful bit of dandelion fluff! Like a giddy-"

"So the bubble doesn't actually make you happy?"

"Well who wouldn't be happy to find themselves wafting on the breeze as gaily as a-" a chorus of voices cut him off.

"Your inventions are all crap!"

"It's exactly the same as your stupid lovey-dovey powder."

"Do your bubbles do anything else besides float people away?"

Their offended host protested, "How rude! You people are clearly ignorant of the amazing breakthroughs that are being demonstrated here. Why, it took me months of careful formula adjustments to balance out the emotional resonance frequencies. Just the fine tuning on the polymer harmonics alone represents years of research and testing..."

Having quickly lost interest in the explanation, Chopper, Luffy and Ussop had gotten their hands on the slap-happy bubble. The majority of the crew had also lost interest as the long winded professors' technical explanation trailed on and turned instead to watch.

Chopper pulled the bubble over his head with a muffled squelch.

"Okay now laugh Chopper."

"But nothing's funny right now." Came his muffled voice.

"Wait, wait, I've got a joke, 'what's the toughest part about eating a vegetable?'"

They looked expectantly at Ussop for a beat.

"Finding a place to hide the wheel chair!"

"Ussop that's disgusting!" Nami cried.

"I think it's funny," said Robin with a perfectly straight face.

"I don't get it." Luffy said with a small frown. "Never mind Chopper, watch this!"

Luffy plugged his nose and drew in a deep breath that served to swell his head up to twice its normal size, then, curling an eyebrow, declared "Nami-swan is as beautiful as a pork pie hot from the oven."

This dead on imitation of Sanji sent Chopper and Ussop into gales of laughter which served to loft Chopper up to the ceiling of the dome. Franky released a controlled Strong Right to extend the game into a round of catch-the-floating-reindeer and Brook began to fiddle as the high spirited antics of the crew filled the bubble dome with infectious laughter.

Sanji however was not impressed and with a curse of, 'crapy captain' sent Luffy flying sideways with a powerful kick. His rubber body ricocheted off a light source bubble and sent him off on a flying tangent only to knock into a cheerfully unsuspecting Nami.

The force of the impact thrust Nami firmly against the nearest bubble wall. Luffy's hands slapped down on either side of her body with a force hard enough to send ripples throughout the dome which in turn caused everyone who had been fooling around to turn towards them in alarm. The speed of events left a breathless navigator struggling to keep up as in her disorientation she felt the wall bulge outward against the weight of her body. The added weight of Luffy's body against Nami's was enough to cause the bubble wall to balloon outward. The sudden lack of stability prevented either of them from regaining their balance and the entire crew watched in horror as Luffy and Nami pitched forward in slow motion into a large bubble that separated from the wall of the dome with a rubbery sounding pop.

Nami blinked away her confusion. It had all happened in moments and it took her a second to assess the situation.

Point one, she was sprawled on her stomach at the bottom of a not quite large enough to be comfortable globe. Point two; her captain was likewise sprawled on top of her with his nose digging into the back of her neck and legs tangled in an uncomfortable jumble of limbs, she was sure that one of Luffy's knees was bending the wrong way. Point three, the plastic feel of the shell she was resting on was quickly cooling and the already dim light surrounding them was darkening rapidly. This last point demanded her immediate attention.

With a squeak and a cry of 'Luffy you idiot!' she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, causing Luffy to roll to the side with a muffled _oof,_ and struggled to turn around on the slick surface. With hands cupped around her eyes she peered through the faintly glowing skin of the bubble. There above her and appearing to be rising rapidly away from them was the large well lit bubble platform they had come from. She watched as Franky sent out a Strong Right that pierced the surface of the dome but unfortunately fell well short of their bubble. She could vaguely make out the faces of her Nakama gazing down at her with shock and dawning expressions of horror as the dome disappeared into the twilight and suspended silt above her. Nami began doing rapid calculations in her head.

'Professor P said that the dome was placed at a depth of 400 meters and it looks like we've dropped another 10 in just under a minute. _crap _That puts us firmly in the mesopelagic zone so _crapcrap _lets make that a depth of 600 meters in less than twenty minutes. _crapcrapcrap _What's the Kpa at this depth? If I calculate the volume of a cylinder of water with a height of 600 meters I, _no!_ What about current patterns? We could be sweeping out of the archipelago! _crrraaaap_ Near freezing water temperatures will quickly lead to hypothermia! _crapcrapcrapcrap...'_

"Ah! We're in a little bubble! This is so cool!" Luffy exclaimed.

Nami whipped her head around, "Cool! This is as far from cool as it can get! Ah! Our oxygen! How long until we suffocate? Oh God! I'm too young to die..."

Nami felt Luffy's knees brush against hers as he pushed himself upright. "Hey Nami, you're scared? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Nami gave a frustrated cry, "what's wrong is that I have an idiot Captain who thought it would be a good idea to shove me out of a bubble 400 meters underwater so that I can have my choice of death by smothering, freezing or drowning!" Her voice became shrill, "They'll never find our bodies!"

Luffy, responding to the fear in Nami's voice if nothing else said, "Don't worry Nami, I'll just pop the bubble." With Luffy, decision was action and Nami had only a second to tackle him to the floor of the bubble, pinning his arms to his sides. "No!" She could feel his rubbery arms flex against her hold and so she squeezed tighter.

"Why not?" Luffy asked petulantly, his breath fluffing the hair above her ear. "If I pop the bubble you can swim us both to the surface."

"That won't work, we're too deep. The pressure change would knock me unconscious if it didn't kill us both outright. And we'd get decompression sickness even if I could swim us to the surface and that would probably kill us too. We can't leave." Even as she spoke the words pronouncing their fate, Nami could feel herself calming down just a bit. For some reason having Luffy with her turned the circumstances from absolutely terrifying to merely frightening.

Keeping her hands on his shoulders so she could track him in the dark she sat up, allowing him to sit up next to her. Nami took a few deep breaths in and out. It wouldn't do to hyperventilate in an enclosed space with a limited air supply after all. She allowed herself a moment to calm down and think and as she did she became aware of the deep stillness they were surrounded in. The only sound was of their breathing as they drifted down at a steady rate into the nearly black waters below. The unnerving silence reduced her world to a globe of faint light and her Captain seated beside her.

Nami paused at that thought. Her eyes had been slowly adjusting to the dimness and she found now that she could vaguely make out Luffy's outline in front of her. She reached forward to see if it was just her eyes playing tricks on her and she jumped when her fingers brushed his cheek. Luffy laughed in surprise.

"That startled me. What are you doing?" Luffy asked curiously, and Nami found herself both humbled and slightly frightened to realize that Luffy had been waiting patiently (and quietly!) for her to come up with a solution and was perfectly content to wait in the dark while she thought because he trusted her.

With that revelation she set her chin forward, determined not to let her Captain down.

"Luffy, can you see me at all?" she asked.

"I think so." There was a pause and then Nami felt something poke her in the nose. She reared her head back startled.

"Was that your face?" Luffy asked with a grin in his voice.

"Yes! Don't do that!"

"Hehehe, sorry. I can kinda see you, but not really. It's_ really_ dark down here."

"Yes, thank you Captain obvious, but how can you see me? Where is the light coming from? It should be pitch black in here."

They both turned and re-examined their surroundings. "Hey" Luffy said after a pause, "This bubble is pink."

Nami gasped and leaned forward to examine the surface of the bubble itself. As Luffy had noticed the wall of the bubble gleamed with the faintest iridescent pink sheen. Barely noticeable unless you were looking for it and only visible because of the deep blackness they hung suspended in.

"Oh! There must have been some left over lovey-dovey powder on the wall where you punched us through!" Nami felt a wave of relief wash over her so strongly that she nearly slumped over. "I swear that when we get back to the bubble platform I am going to shake the Professors hand and tell him that he is a first class genius."

"Eh? Why? What'd he do?"

"He's going to save our lives, that's what he's going to do. Now we don't have much time so hurry up and say something romantic."

Nami could feel her companion twitch in surprise beside her. "What?"

Nami took a deep breath and mentally warned herself that the bubble would respond to her emotions. When she was sure she was calm and had resisted the impulse to hit him on the head she said in a dangerously level tone, "Luffy, we are in a lovey-dovey bubble. It will float us to the surface if you say something romantic. So now I need you to save both our lives by giving me a complement."

Her even tone must have gotten through to him because he asked in a voice that was only mildly sulky, "So what should I say?"

Nami sighed in exasperation, "I don't know, anything. Say something that Sanji would say."

He pondered for a moment and then said in a near perfect imitation of Sanji's voice, "Get the hell out of my kitchen! No more snacks till dinner time!"

Nami huffed in suppressed irritation, "How is that romantic? Man, this is going to be like pulling teeth." Sighing she crossed her arms and glared in his general direction, "Say something nice that Sanji would say to _me_."

Luffy sat for a moment in thought, "Ah, okay how 'bout this? Your eyebrows remind me of two orange peels, like from the duck l'orange we had last week. Your nose-"

Nami cut him off with an exclamation of "I really _am_ going to die but I'm going to kill _you_ first!" She reached for his throat to throttle him but with that action came a sickening lurch as the floor of the bubble dropped several feet underneath them. They both yelped in surprise as their knees slammed down with a force that would leave bruises on Nami at least.

"Damn that prissy professor! I'm so going to punch him in the face the next time I see him." She seethed as she tenderly massaged her shins.

"But you just said that you would shake his hand." Luffy commented seemingly unfazed.

"Oh, shut up." Nami switched to rubbing her arms in a futile attempt to warm them up. The cold surface of the bubble was beginning to penetrate her skin as she knelt, which served to increase her sense of urgency.

Nami huffed and then cleared her throat, "I'll try then... your hair is.. uh.. as.. dark as the evening sky and your eyes match ..which is the reason why.. all the ladies dance and sing... you are going to be the pirate king!" Nami finished on a triumphant note, feeling a little proud of herself but as the seconds ticked by and the bubble didn't respond Nami's satisfaction was replaced by anger. "Come on! That was a complement and it even rhymed! Take us up!" Nami punched the bubble wall and it retaliated by dropping them abruptly another few feet.

Nami snarled in frustration as Luffy's irritatingly calm voice drifted over saying, "Neat poem Nami, but I'm going to be the Pirate King because I kick ass not because of my hair." The tone of his voice was that of a wise elder chiding a young child and Nami had to restrain herself from the sudden urge she had to pop the bubble and drown them both.

She took several calming breaths. "Right then! Drastic measures! Luffy, hold still for a second okay?"

Nami tentatively reached out through the dark to Luffy's silhouette. 'I'm going to charge you a million berri for making me do this' she thought.

This time he didn't jump when her fingers brushed his cheek. Taking advantage of his confidence in her she tilted her head forward slowly until she felt her lips brush against the corner of his mouth. Luffy jerked away from her in shock but his surprised voice was lost as the bubble jolted suddenly upwards causing them both to lose their balance.

"O-okay." Nami said with a shaky breath when she had scrambled back upright. "That wasn't so bad. We should get to the surface in a few minutes or so." She trailed off.

"Luffy?" She asked, suddenly unnerved by the silence. It took a moment longer then it should have for him to respond to her.

"Yeah?"

She felt the first tingles of a flush rising in her cheeks and she suddenly wished it was lighter so that she could see what expression on his face matched that unfamiliar tone of voice. "I -I'm going to do that again... Is that alright with you?" She trailed off uncertainly.

"Y-yeah."

Anyone who would have happened to be in a position to observe the little bubble floating in the black would have noticed how it gently ceased its downward drift and began to imperceptibly lift upwards as the little navigator moved closer to her captain. Trying to ignore the selfconscious feelings that were sweeping through her at the strange timbre in his voice, she set about arranging herself comfortably. She scooted around until she knelt facing him and stretched out her hands until they were resting comfortably on his shoulders. Luffy was sitting back on his heels and Nami frowned to note that she would have to lean across him to reach his mouth. Steeling her nerves she ran her hands up the sides of his neck and let her fingertips explore the shape of his face in the dark. It seemed to her that his cheeks felt warmer than they should have but she didn't allow herself to dwell on that. The rough path of that old scar on his otherwise smooth cheek, the tip of his nose as it slopped down to his lips. The way his breath felt stuttering and uneven as her fingers hovered there.

"Luffy, can you lean forward a little bit?"

"Um... what?" Luffy's voice was definitely sounding strange and his deeper tone set off another round of unwelcome butterflies in her stomach even as his breath slipped past her fingers.

Nami hummed in mild frustration. "Never mind."

Before she could change her mind she smoothed her thumb across his chin and let it guide her in to his face. Allowing her eyes to shut although it didn't really make a difference she closed the distance between them and softly sealed her lips against his.

This time when the bubble surged upwards Nami found she was sprawled across Luffy's chest, unintentionally deepening the kiss. She had meant to place a series of light pecks on his mouth, slow enough to measure their progress between kisses, but now she was deeper then she had intended to go as gravity pressed her into the warm body beneath her. Luffy made a sound in the back of his throat that rumbled through her which for some reason prevented her from regaining her balance as she clutched his shoulders. Then he made sure she never would regain it again when he began to return her kiss with a tentative but firm pressure. She felt an arm creep around her waist to hold her against him as another reached behind to brace them as he began to move his lips over hers.

Nami felt her original intentions to keep things professional slip away as Luffy moved them into a rhythm of tentative open mouthed kisses that left her boneless as she returned them. The warm taste of his mouth and the darkness that surrounded them allowed Nami to sink into a pleasurable haze. Her focus drifted as his lips moved and sliding hands anchored and burned her at the same time. The sound of their uneven breathing filled the bubble with strange echoes that furthered her sense of unreality at the situation. Nami soon decided that being in Luffy's lap was much more comfortable then the cold bubble floor so she pulled her knees forward on either side of his thighs to straddle his lap. The change in position deepened the angle of their kiss and Nami began to feel something warm slip into her blood.

The initial innocence behind the kiss smouldered into ashes as hesitancy gave way to growing confidence. Nami nibbled on Luffy's bottom lip before drawing it into her mouth. The gentle suction drew a moan from him that was so unlike any sound that she had ever heard him make that it made her pull back for a moment in surprise. It was then that she noticed that the midnight black waters surrounding them had lightened to a deep twilight that allowed her to read the expression in his eyes for the first time since they had left the dome. The dark, slightly dazed intensity in them made Nami shiver and she decided that it was much, much easier to go back to kissing him then it was to remain in the burning heat of his gaze.

But that same fire was waiting for her as she sank back into his kiss. His mouth was scalding hot against hers and their breaths tangled together as the fire between them surged. Nami suddenly felt overwhelmed as the kiss spiralled out of her control. There was a roaring in her ears and she dizzily felt as though gravity had reversed itself and she was falling upward into a watery blue sky. Her world that had been reduced to the circumference of the dome had shrunk still further until nothing existed except for the sensations that were washing through her as Luffy's soft mouth burned her again and again.

The bubble surged violently through the waters. The opposing forces of water displacement and buoyancy caused the bubble to bulge and flatten as it boiled upward. Nami noticed none of it. Cradled in her captains arms she didn't notice the surge in speed as their bubble rose upwards, the only sounds she paid attention to were the little desperate noises Luffy was making as he abruptly moved from her lips to the side of her head and the tender skin by her ear as his arms tightened around her and pressed her fully against him. The light rising behind her closed lids were the fireworks that were going off like mad as she squeezed her eyes tighter to better focus on the absolutely amazing sensations that were building in her. Luffy pressed wet hurried kisses against her throat but Nami found that she didn't mind, she tangled her fingers in his dark hair to hold his mouth against her skin and revelled in the dizzying experience.

Then her innate barometer kicked in with a newsflash. She opened her eyes with a snap just in time to see their bubble bursting up from the water like a rocket powered fountain. A roar filled her ears as the waters that had lifted up with them slammed back into the ocean and then she was suddenly once again aware of the sensation of speed as the bubble shot up into the branches of the mangroves. Luffy dragged his mouth from her skin the very moment that their bubble passed beyond the atmospheric layer that protected it causing it to shattered with a shower of pink foam and sea water. Their momentum carried them up a few yards higher before gravity reasserted itself. For a few moments of breathless zero gravity Nami and Luffy gazed at each other. Nami watched as the burning dark storm in his eyes began to clear as light like a sunrise began to suffuse his features. A huge grin broke across his face and he clutched Nami tight against himself as they began the long fall back to the ocean below. Luffy let out an exuberant yell that was so full of joy that Nami couldn't help but laugh too. Then she was laughing because the last ten minutes were washing over her and blowing her away and settling over her mind and changing things forever. The wind whipped past their faces but Nami felt nothing but a heightened excitement, there was no way Luffy would let her get hurt.

As the ground sped towards them Nami pointed to the side, directing Luffy's attention to the Thousand Sunny tucked between two towering roots. Luffy uncurled an arm from around her waist and sent it shooting to a branch, easing their fall into a swinging arch, tossing them closer and closer to where their ship was anchored. Nami could see her ship mates scurrying around the deck and pointing up at them. The shark submarine surfaced beside the ship a moment later and she watched as its occupants climbed out, the expressions on their faces as they spotted them changed from grim and anxious to amazed and excited as they spotted her.

With a final snap of his arm, Luffy landed heavily on the surface of the deck, legs firmly planted with Nami cradled in his arms bridal style. The crew swarmed around them shouting questions and talking over each other and bursting into tears by preference. Luffy just stood with a grin on his face as his treasured people fussed over him until Nami wacked him on the side of his head to get him to let her go. Everyone's obvious question on how they had managed to escape was answered when Luffy kissed the side of her head before setting her down and Nami did nothing but blush slightly and grin at him.

"Ah, So it was the Lovey-Dovey Bubble! Zoro, you owe me 50 berri."

"You crappy captain! How dare you kiss Nami in front of me?"

"Shut up idiots! I'm not crying! I'm just Super happy that they are okay!"

"That was quick thinking captain, we were so worried when we couldn't find you in the submarine"

"You idiot! Where do you get off scaring us like that?"

Nami hurried to assure her friends that she was perfectly alright and that Luffy had been a perfect gentleman and that they had only been a little bit scared and that it wasn't a big deal at all, really. But she quickly gave up as no one was listening to her and stood back to let them work their fears out of their systems. She only lashed out when Brook requested to see if her panties were also perfectly safe. She accepted the cup of coffee that Robin handed to her and watched as Luffy laughingly dodged Sanji's half hearted kicks across the deck. Sanji couldn't really get his usual energy into them due to the overwhelming relief that Nami was okay. And the composure that they both exhibited assured him that nothing really serious had happened. Luffy had probably just kissed her cheek right? No way Nami would allow more than that. No way that Luffy would even know how to take advantage of the situation right?

It was the general opinion of the crew that evening that if Luffy seemed slightly more wound up than usual, well it was completely understandable given the circumstances. Being trapped underwater would be a rattling event for a devil fruit user right? And if Nami refused to give any details and got snappy when someone pushed too hard that was fine right? She was probably pouting about her resolution to not charge Luffy for the 'little kiss' that had saved both their lives. The majority of the crew turned their attention to other things. Like what would have happened if Ussop and Zoro had gotten shoved into the bubble together. The general pandemonium that this line of enquiry brought up served as an excellent distraction. The crew eventually settled down for the night on the Thousand Sunny after having unanimously agreed that going back to the bubble platform was a dangerous waste of time. They could last three days on the surface without getting caught right?

However, thoughtful eyes noticed that Nami's gaze rested on Luffy just a little too often and lingered just a little too long at times. The discerning noticed that Luffy's usually bright smile gained extra wattage when he smiled at Nami. These knowing eyes met after their careful regard of their navigator and captain, and each nodded slightly in understanding.

Zoro snorted. He didn't particularly care if there was something going on between those two. He was still tired from their ordeals at Thriller Bark and even though he hated to admit it, he didn't have the energy to fuss over the two of them with his injuries sapping his strength.

Robin smiled a secret smile and kept her thoughts to herself. She would wait and watch and enjoy her life and enjoy the lives of these precious people around her. This development promised to be interesting.

Franky kept his mouth shut but couldn't stop the emotions that flowed from him. He channelled them into a stirring ballad about touching reunions even thought the seperation in question had only lasted 20 minutes tops. As he broke out his guitar and played, Brook drew out his violin and effortlessly matched his melody and then lifted it to soar into an alto harmony that caused a hush to fall on the deck. Brooks skill took the powerful emotion of Franky's guitar and transformed it into a wave of music that wove through its listeners. The crew sat on the deck under the stars that shone with soft glimmering reflections on the surface of the bubbles that rose slowly around them and from the ripples of the waves beneath them. A deep sense of peace filled those momentary pauses in the music and wove a counter layer in the harmonies of the music. It wrapped around them and tied them all together tighter than any chains.

Nami looked across the deck to where her captain was sitting with Chopper drifting off to sleep leaning against his knee. It only took a few moments of her eyes resting on him for him to sense it and turn towards her. His answering smile reassured a place deep in her heart in ways words couldn't do. So she licked her lips slowly and watched as his eyes darkened slightly with an emotion close to hunger. She chuckled a little to herself. Tomorrow was going to be a good day.

* * *

This is a little interlude that came into my brain during the Saboady Arc. The story takes its original path from here. Tomorrow they'll meet Bartholomew Kuma. I'm sorry that I can't continue this to develope the change in L & N's relationship, but the Manga has me hooked and anything I write now will seem fake to those of you who are reading chapter's 600+ with me.

Thanks to Tempurasky who generously looked this fic over, gave me tips and encouraged me to continue. If you enjoyed this fic please review and let me know. It is amazingly encouraging to hear what you wonderful readers have to say.

-Jhallel


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